Shaunie O’Neal on ‘Basketball Wives’ Backlash: We Will Be More Positive

Who said that boycotts and advertisers pulling out wouldn’t have any effect on Basketball Wives, Miami?

Executive producer and Queen Bee, Shaunie O’Neal, said on the reunion show that the cast takes full responsibility for their actions and will do better going forward. She likened the show to a “mirror” and admitted that some of the women don’t always like what they see reflected:

“I feel that all these ladies take responsibility for what their actions are…and after seeing ourselves this season, it definitely was a lot more bad than good. I’ve really tried to preach the whole ‘Let’s get some balance’ and now I think my voice is resonating.”

http://www.vh1.com/video/interview/768513/shaunies-statement.jhtml

Not content to let the moment pass, O’Neal clearly had some things to get off of her chest and she did:

“This has definitely been a heated season. “Basketball Wives” is filled with a lot of strong personalities with months, weeks, days and hours condensed into about 45 minutes each episode. Unfortunately, a lot of these personalities have clashed and let their opinions and emotions overwhelm them which has at times gotten the best of them, escalating into physical confrontations.

“As this group has been blessed with strong, smart, independent, sassy women with as much passion as vocabulary, there’s NO excuse for physical violence. So the cast, SHED Media and Vh1 have done a gut check, to stop allowing physical violence demoralize the show and impose a no-physical violence policy.

“Personally, I almost didn’t come back to the show but I thought it was important for this to be said as some of the past actions this season I have not agreed with, it’s not what I stand for and never have. So moving forward, we have agreed to better the show, still with plenty of drama and fun (how can we help that?!) but with a more responsible attitude all around. This is important for me specifically as an executive and what I do and don’t attach my name to, as a grown woman, and as a positive role model to my kids.”

In statements on the Vh-1 blog, the network and Shed Media, production partners with O’Neal’s production partners, both voiced their shift in focus moving forward.

Shed:

“Shed Media US is fully committed to telling the compelling stories of the Basketball Wives in a balanced way. Our producing partner Shaunie O’Neal feels strongly about this, and we fully agree with this stance. We support her as she encourages the cast members to work out issues in a non-violent fashion. We look forward to working with her and the rest of the cast on conveying more balance in the next season.”

Vh-1:

“Our viewers opinions always matter a great deal to us at VH1. Lately, there has been a lot of conversation about Basketball Wives, a series featuring strong, intelligent women with very passionate viewpoints, which can sometimes escalate.

“We at VH1 agree with and support Shaunie and the show producers’ “no excessive physical confrontations” policy on the series moving forward. We are all committed to balancing the candid, bold excitement that the viewers have come to love in the series with storylines and representations they can be proud of. Shaunie has been a strong advocate for a more balanced approach to the show and we, along with our producing partners at Shed Media, are all in agreement about moving forward with that goal.”

Though it’s wonderful that O’Neal and producers plan to bring more balance to the show, there is that pesky issue of supply and demand. People claim they don’t want drama but tune in week after week. I’m not a betting woman, but if I were, I’d put money down that once the drama disappears so will “Basketball Wives.”

Or maybe the petitioners will spend just as much time supporting the women once they change direction as they are protesting them now?